Studio 619 for June 8, 2008

Kentucky’s signature industry is searching for new ways to make money. Horse racing is steeped in tradition in the Bluegrass, but track attendance is falling. A number of tracks have turn to online wagering, which has provided a boom to the industry because consumers can watch races, see the program and make their bets online at advance-deposit wagering sites.

But the change has also brought on a disagreement between horsemen and track owners over how much money they each get from betting revnues. Stephanie Sanders has the story.

You can’t turn on the TV or open the paper today without food supplies or prices in the headlines. But the cause of what many are calling the “food crisis” is still unclear.

Some blame the rising price of corn for higher grocery bills, corn being a staple ingredient of so many foods. And some blame ethanol, which uses corn that might have otherwise entered the food supply. Kristin Espeland explores the upsides and downsides of ethanol.

The Muhammad Ali Center Board of Directors approved the appointment of Greg Roberts to be the center’s new president and CEO. Roberts, a Washington, D.C. native, has been a longtime advocate of underserved youth and will be the Ali Center’s second president. He succeeds Mike Fox, who stepped down last year.

Rick Howlett spoke with Greg Roberts about his background and his vision for the Ali Center.

Kentucky parents whose children are insured through Medicaid are having a hard time understanding their child’s coverage – that’s according to a report released last week by Kentucky Youth Advocates. Stephanie Sanders spoke with the author of the report about the study and what could change to improve communication.

One of the most talked about issues with the recent budget cuts in Louisville has been the decision to keep five public swimming pools closed this summer. In reaction to the closure, residents of the Phoenix Hill and surrounding neighborhoods formed the Save Urban Pools Coalition.

Their goal is to re-open the Breslin and Shelby Park Pools. Gabe Bullard sat down with one of the group’s leaders, Cindy Brown Kinloch, to talk about the group’s efforts.